Sentimental Journey - Hits from the Second World War

Overview

The first in the series of discs accompanying Ken Burns's seven-hour epic The War, Sentimental Journey: Hits From the Second World War is an orchestra-heavy compilation of vocals and instrumentals that pretty much touches all the right bases -- Benny Goodman with a swinging treatment of "We'll Meet Again," Artie Shaw's luscious take on "Dancing in the Dark," Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Coleman Hawkins, Duke, Cab Calloway, Satchmo (his enduring, bluesy treatment of "Memories of You," featuring one of Louis's most seductive vocals), et al. In addition to Armstrong's, vocal highlights include the young Frank Sinatra's sensitive, romantic reading of "Let's Get Lost" and his masterful, dramatic rendition of "Long Ago and Far Away" (which is preceded by Sinatra's spoken introduction identifying himself as "the hoodlum from Hoboken") and the Mills Brothers' sweetly swinging blues-tinged pop classic, "Paper Doll." The one legitimate flaw is the virtual absence of the great female vocalists of the era, who certainly left their mark on our boys overseas but, apart from Kay Starr, are unrepresented here.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/11/2007
Label:	Rca
UPC:	0886971453829
catalogNumber:	714538
Rank:	3165

Tracks

1. We'll Meet Again
2. Dancing in the Dark
3. Little Brown Jug
4. I'll Be Seeing You
5. Moonglow
6. Memories of You
7. I'll Get By
8. On the Alamo
9. Pennies from Heaven
10. Body and Soul
11. Let's Get Lost
12. Blues in the Night
13. There Shall Be No Night
14. Echoes of Harlem
15. Skylark
16. Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night of the Week)
17. Paper Doll
18. Long Ago and Far Away
19. Sentimental Journey
20. Waiting for the Train to Come In

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Doris Day   Vocals
Peggy Lee   Vocals
Frank Sinatra   Vocals
Count Basie   Piano
Cab Calloway   Vocals
Charlie Christian   Electric Guitar
Billy Eckstine   Vocals
Benny Goodman   Clarinet
Lionel Hampton   Vibes
Earl Hines   Piano
Johnny Hodges   Alto Saxophone
Harry James   Trumpet
Jo Jones   Drums
Jonah Jones   Trumpet
John Kirby   Bass
Mel Powell   Piano
Artie Shaw   Clarinet
Ben Webster   Tenor Saxophone
Teddy Wilson   Piano
Cootie Williams   Trumpet
Lawrence Brown   Trombone
Cozy Cole   Drums
Johnny Guarnieri   Piano
Herb Jeffries   Vocals
Jack Jenney   Trombone
Johnny Mince   Clarinet
Vido Musso   Tenor Saxophone
Gene Rodgers   Piano
Dick Haymes   Vocals
Coleman Hawkins   Tenor Saxophone
Kitty Kallen   Vocals
John Mills   Vocals
Sonny Greer   Drums
Louis Armstrong   Trumpet,Vocals
Georgie Auld   Tenor Saxophone
Tex Beneke   Tenor Saxophone
Artie Bernstein   Bass
Barney Bigard   Clarinet,Tenor Saxophone
Billie Holiday   Vocals
Harry Carney   Baritone Saxophone
Tommy Dorsey   Trombone
Duke Ellington   Piano
Nick Fatool   Drums
Jackie Fields   Alto Saxophone
Joe Guy   Trumpet
Earl Hardy   Trombone
Arthur Herbert   Drums
Glenn Miller   Trombone
Donald Mills   Vocals
Harry Mills   Vocals
Herbert Mills   Vocals
Eustis Moore   Alto Saxophone
Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton   Trombone
Allan Reuss   Guitar
Axel Stordahl   Conductor
Dale McMickle   Trumpet
Billy Taylor   Bass
Tommy Lindsay   Trumpet
William Oscar Smith   Guitar

Technical Credits

Steven Berkowitz   Producer
Ken Burns   Producer
Bill Finegan   Arranger
Howard Fritzson   Art Direction
Lynn Novick   Producer
Duncan Allardyce   Producer
Sarah Botstein   Producer

Editorial Reviews

This 20-track companion disc to the Ken Burns' PBS documentary The War provides a brief glimpse into the swing and pop music synonymous with World War II. Attempting to choose 20 songs for a single disc that are beloved by those who lived through that era, while also trying to sustain the curiosity of those who didn't, is a lofty goal. As it turns out, Burns and the producers pieced together an impeccable track listing that covers the full range of emotions withstood by a generation during wartime, from the upbeat and optimistic swing performances of "Little Brown Jug" (Glenn Miller), and "Pennies from Heaven" (Earl Hines Orchestra with Billie Holiday), to the melancholy romanticism of "Memories of You" (Louis Armstrong), "Let's Get Lost" (Frank Sinatra), and "Sentimental Journey" (Les Brown). The liner notes are informative as every title on the soundtrack was chosen by Burns and co-producer Lynn Novick. The interested listener should also investigate two other individual CDs coinciding with this series: I'm Beginning to See the Light: Dance Hits from the Second World War and Songs Without Words: Classical Music from the War.

All Music Guide - Campbell